Make Custom Halloween Candles With Moldable Sand

Chilling nights are ahead. Use moldable sand to turn Halloween decorations you already own into glowing candles.

Custom Halloween Candles

The Crafty Lumberjacks create custom candles for the creepiest time of year with a lot of kinetic sand a little bit of creativity.

Photo by: Crafty Lumberjacks

Crafty Lumberjacks

By: The Crafty Lumberjacks: Andrew Boza and Dennis Setteducati

Show: HGTV Handmade

Related To:

Disclaimer: For your safety, never leave burning or smoldering objects unattended. Always burn candles on a fire-resistant tray and keep other items away from open flames. Use extreme caution when handling hot wax and wear appropriate clothing and protection for candle making.

Create your own custom candle perfect for the creepiest time of year or switch it up for any season. With moldable sand and a little creativity you can “boo-it-yourself” to create any festive candle you can think of using objects found around your house.

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Halloween Kinetic Sand Candles

10:57

The Crafty Lumberjacks, Andrew Boza and Dennis Setteducati, make spooktacular candles using kinetic sand molds and items from around the house.

Materials + Tools

moldable sand
paraffin wax
candle wax dye
candle wicks
candle making thermometer
wax pen
household objects or decorations (to create the mold)

pouring pitcher
bowl or ramekin
wire rack or trivet
pot or saucepan
knife
wooden skewer
paintbrush

Prep Materials

Find an object to mold with simple, recognizable shapes like a pumpkin, ghost or skull. You can even make a mold of your own hand! Fill up a deep bowl with moldable sand, pressing and packing the sand in tightly (Image 1). Tip: It is important to use a bowl or dish that is wide and deep enough for your object.

Prep Materials

Find an object to mold with simple recognizable shapes, like a pumpkin, ghost, skull. Even use your own hand! Fill up a bowl with kinetic sand and press and pack the sand in tightly with your hand. TIP: It is important to use a bowl or dish that is wide and deep enough for your object.

Photo by: Crafty Lumberjacks

Crafty Lumberjacks

Create Candle Mold

Slowly and firmly press the object (or your hand) in the middle of the bowl, taking care not to disturb the surrounding sand (Image 1 + 2). Then slowly remove the object from the sand. Take your time with this step — any wiggling or shifting will distort the details. Place the bowl into the freezer for 30 minutes, allowing the sand to chill and harden (Image 3).

Press the object or your hand object into the sand slowly and firmly in the middle of the bowl being careful not to wiggle the surrounding sand. Then slowly remove the object from the sand. Place the bowl into the freezer for 30 minutes allowing the sand to chill and harden. TIP: Take your time with this step, any wiggling or shifting will distort details.

Crafty Lumberjacks

Create mold

Press the object or your hand object into the sand slowly and firmly in the middle of the bowl being careful not to wiggle the surrounding sand. Then slowly remove the object from the sand. Place the bowl into the freezer for 30 minutes allowing the sand to chill and harden. TIP: Take your time with this step, any wiggling or shifting will distort details.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Create mold

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Create mold

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Heat Wax

Fill a small pot or saucepan a quarter of the way with water. Place a wire rack or trivet at the bottom of the pot; this prevents the pouring pitcher from directly touching the heat (Image 1). Add to a stovetop over low to medium heat and melt down the paraffin wax, stirring continuously with a wooden skewer. Check the temperature with a candle making thermometer and remove when the temperature reaches 150 degrees F (Image 2). Tip: Do not let the ingredients come to a boil.

Optionally, after the wax has melted, add candle wax dye and stir well until you reach the desired color.

Fill a small pot a quarter of the way with water. Place a metal grate at the bottom of the pot, so the pouring pitcher doesn’t sit directly over the heat. Add to a stovetop over low/medium heat and meltdown the paraffin wax. Stir continuously with a wooden skewer. Check the temperature with a candle making thermometer and remove when the temperature is 150 degrees. TIP: Do not let the ingredients come to a boil.

Crafty Lumberjacks

Heat wax

Fill a small pot a quarter of the way with water. Place a metal grate at the bottom of the pot, so the pouring pitcher doesn’t sit directly over the heat. Add to a stovetop over low/medium heat and meltdown the paraffin wax. Stir continuously with a wooden skewer. Check the temperature with a candle making thermometer and remove when the temperature is 150 degrees. TIP: Do not let the ingredients come to a boil.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Heat wax

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Pour Into Mold

Take the mold out the freezer. Slowly pour the melted wax into the mold. (Image 1 + 2). Tip: Pour the wax close to the mold so the wax doesn’t create an indent in the moldable sand.

Take out the kinetic sand mold from the freezer and slowly pour the melted wax into the mold. TIP: Pour the wax close to the mold so the wax doesn’t create an indent in the sand.

Crafty Lumberjacks

Pour

Take out the kinetic sand mold from the freezer and slowly pour the melted wax into the mold. TIP: Pour the wax close to the mold so the wax doesn’t create an indent in the sand.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Pour

Take out the kinetic sand mold from the freezer and slowly pour the melted wax into the mold. TIP: Pour the wax close to the mold so the wax doesn’t create an indent in the sand.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Add Wick

As the wax begins to cool, carefully lay the candle wick in the center of the mold (Image 1). Use a wooden skewer to help push the wick into the middle of the wax. If needed, pour melted wax over the wick to make sure the wick is fully immersed. Tip: Don’t worry if the wax spills over and around the edges (Image 2); it is easy to chip off those pieces once dry.

Let the wax cool briefly then lay the candle wick in the center of the mold. Use a wooden skewer to help push the wick into the middle of the wax. If needed pour melted wax over the wick to make sure the wick is fully immersed. TIP: Don’t worry if the wax spills over, it is easy to chip off those pieces once dry.

Crafty Lumberjacks

Add wick

Let the wax cool briefly then lay the candle wick in the center of the mold. Use a wooden skewer to help push the wick into the middle of the wax. If needed pour melted wax over the wick to make sure the wick is fully immersed. TIP: Don’t worry if the wax spills over, it is easy to chip off those pieces once dry.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Add wick

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Remove Candle From Mold

Allow the wax to fully harden for at least two hours. The timing on this will depend on the size of your mold. The paraffin wax will slightly shrink as it cools, causing it to separate from the sand.

Once hardened, carefully remove the candle from the mold. Use a paintbrush with stiff bristles to gently brush off leftover, stubborn sand that is stuck to the candle (Image 1 + 3). Use the wooden skewer to help remove sand from any detailed areas and crevices (Image 2). Carefully break away any undesired wax that spilled over while pouring the mold. If your candle doesn’t stand, use a sharp knife to carefully cut a straight edge for the base (Image 4).

The paraffin wax will slightly shrink when cooling and separate from the sand. Once hardened, carefully remove the candle from the mold. Use a paintbrush with stiff bristles to brush off leftover stubborn sand that is stuck to the candle. Use the wooden skewer to help remove sand from any detailed areas. Carefully break away any wax that over spilled in the mold. TIP: If your candle doesn’t stand, use a sharp knife to carefully cut a straight edge for the base.

Crafty Lumberjacks

Remove candle from mold

The paraffin wax will slightly shrink when cooling and separate from the sand. Once hardened, carefully remove the candle from the mold. Use a paintbrush with stiff bristles to brush off leftover stubborn sand that is stuck to the candle. Use the wooden skewer to help remove sand from any detailed areas. Carefully break away any wax that over spilled in the mold. TIP: If your candle doesn’t stand, use a sharp knife to carefully cut a straight edge for the base.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Remove candle from mold

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Remove candle from mold

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Remove candle from mold

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Finishing Touches

Use a wax pen to draw on details for your candle (Image 1). We drew eerie facial features onto our ghost; we also added a bloody drip effect by lighting a red candle and dripping the wax over our hand candle (Image 2).

Use a wax pen to draw ghost-like facial features or add a bloody drip effect by lighting a red candle and dripping the wax over your candle.

Crafty Lumberjacks

Add detail

Use a wax pen to draw ghost-like facial features or add a bloody drip effect by lighting a red candle and dripping the wax over your candle.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Add detail

Use a wax pen to draw ghost-like facial features or add a bloody drip effect by lighting a red candle and dripping the wax over your candle.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

DIY Kinetic Sand Halloween Candles

The Crafty Lumberjacks give step-by-step instructions on how to create custom candles for Halloween.

Photo By: Crafty Lumberjacks

Light

Trim down the wicks and place the candle on a heat-resistant surface before lighting. Trim down wicks by 1/3 before each burn. Keep burning candles in sight at all times.